Campbell Scott has finally graduated to directing a movie on 35 mm film. Its called Off the Map and it has some wonderful performances by Joan Allen and Jim True-Frost.

The story of Off the Map is about 11-year-old Bo Groden [Valentina de Angelis] and her free-thinking family. While constantly yearning for escape from her sparse environment, Bo passes the time with flair and imagination. She's a crack shot with a rifle and a bow and arrow, an artful plunderer of wallets and briefcases, and the compelling mistress of ceremonies for a moonlit three-ring circus of her own invention. Bo's home is an entrancing, challenging place that she will one day transcend to become the woman she was destined to be.

Daniel Robert Epstein: The academy always rewards big budget films, so why do you think that Million Dollar Baby won?

Campbell Scott: Who knows? Im trying to figure this kind of stuff out. I know its good when I see a smaller film get recognized because it means more publicity for them. When you start producing and directing the movies become a little more like your children. You spent years of your life and then it just dumps out into theatres in one day and you think, what happened? We made Off the Map almost three years ago. Distributors are scared of it. Frankly a lot of these guys are smart and they know what theyre doing but the fact is its hard to release movies. Especially movies like this where youre not going to have 20 million dollars marketing behind it. But it can almost be put in the column of whining. Weve been to at least 50 movie festivals and people are talking about it.

DRE: Does acting make you a better director?

CS: Without a doubt. Because most of the time for me, youre learning what not to do. As opposed to know what to do. Whenever I see a director do something I think, whatever he or she just said totally screwed that actor up and now theyre worse. Im never going to do that. Im going to figure out something else because I want my movie to be good.

DRE: What did you learn from directing a real InDigEnt film like Final that you took over to Off the Map?

CS: Well remember I wasnt a stranger to low budgets, The Daytrippers cost like 60 grand and I was a producer, which meant nothing except that I invested in it. But it was friends and it was made in 9 days blah, blah. InDigEnt was great because it was hard and it was shot on video which was totally new to me. You can turn on the camera and roll forever and talk to the actors and try stuff because youre not wasting money. All that stuff was very attractive. Am I now going to move on to a 60 million dollar film? I wouldnt know what to do with a 60 million dollar film. It scares me.

DRE: What made you decide to do this film?

CS: All self-interested reasons. Ive only co directed one movie, Big Night, which was a great experience but we didnt know what we were doing. I saw Off the Map as a play. I knew it would be a small movie and I thought I could handle it. As an audience movie I love Walkabout, Days Of Heaven and The Black Stallion. Those wonderful movies that take place in the middle of nowhere.

DRE: So going to a southern land was also an attraction to this movie?

CS: Yeah I had been out to New Mexico because my-ex wife was a painter. I love it. Its a very exotic interesting severe crazy environment. I dont know if I could live there all year but its such an intense place.

DRE: Is it true you badgered Joan Allen to do this movie?

CS: She was the first one I ever asked and did ask her for many years. A lot of companies could not see Joan in this role, which spoke to their ignorance. We were only acquaintances but I had seen her in plays. I went to school in Wisconsin and I used to drive to see Steppenwolf in a basement. I saw the first True West with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. I saw the first And A Nightingale Sang with Joan. They were unbelievable and that was what made me want to be an actor.

DRE: Why did she say no?

CS: She said that its a mom and he had been playing a lot of moms. But Im an actor and Im usually like I got it. Ill leave you alone. Though I just kept trying to convince her. Over years we had new actress attached, some would fall out and not come back to do it. Up until three months before we shot I still had someone else then they fell out. The fifth time I went back to Joan she said shed do it for some reason.

DRE: Why did you not want to play the character William in this film?

CS: There was talk early on but then I became too old. But I have to say I never wanted it. I saw the play and because I was there that night and because I thought I could handle it as a director I didnt want to be in it. I dont want to be in front of the camera. Ive directed myself in a couple of things but you dont want to do it too often.

DRE: Do you think the movie Singles has aged well?

CS: Let the audience answer that. The movies people still talk to me about are Singles and Dying Young and those were made years and years ago. Now young people at a certain age are discovering that movie again. Singles to me did not represent what I was at the time because I was married. It was a job that was very interesting to enter but it wasnt me expressing what I was going through.

DRE: Can you talk about your two new films?

CS: The Dying Gaul is with Patricia Clarkson and Peter Sarsgaard and Craig Lucas adapted his play into a script. Loverboy stars Kyra Sedgwick and I just play a small part. Its based on novel about a woman who is overly possessive about her son so sadness and craziness ensues.

DRE: Do you feel that as youve gotten older youve found more roles that have given you more opportunities?